Region takes action to remove waste from its lakes and rivers

Siming district has made breakthroughs in enhancing its urban and ecological environment, according to the local government.

Reconstruction of the sewage pipe network and construction of waste water treatment facilities at Tatou reservoir were completed last month, using a total investment of 13 million yuan ($1.94 million), according to local officials.

At present, reconstruction of sewage pipes is ongoing in areas including Yuhou community and Zengcuoan village, said Li Jingqiu, an official from the river chiefs and lake chiefs office of Siming.

The system of river chiefs and lake chiefs has been promoted in China for the past few years as part of the country's efforts to protect the ecological environment. Under the system, selected Party and government officials need to ensure their assigned rivers and lakes are free from pollution.

Siming started to develop all-round management and protection mechanisms to protect and restore the ecological environment along rivers and lakes in 2017.

To date, the district has conducted more than 5,000 environmental investigations, solved over 220 problems and removed more than 2,700 cubic meters of floating garbage from its rivers.

"With the joint efforts of relevant departments, the water quality of lakes and reservoirs in Siming has significantly improved," Li said.

Last year, the district invested 7 million yuan to complete the rehabilitation and transformation of polluted waters in Qianpu, Shangli and Punan, and set up pump stations and facilities for the collection of waste, according to Li.

In addition, the district has established inspection teams to monitor the environment around rivers and lakes.

This year, 137 drivers and cleaners per day have been assigned by the Siming government to clean up drifting garbage. A total of 1,650.4 metric tons of garbage were removed from Jan 1 to March 14.

The river chiefs and lake chiefs office of Siming has joined hands with public security, environmental protection and market supervision departments to carry out law enforcement, according to the Siming government. The office has also promoted public environmental messages through information platforms and apps.

In 2018, Siming district was listed as a national demonstration zone for the construction of an ecological civilization.

Promoting the concept of ecological civilization is a fundamental element in achieving sustainable development. It is also key to guaranteeing sustained and healthy economic development, said Wang Yan, head of the landscape arts department of the district's gardening bureau.

Awareness of ecological and environmental protection among local residents has been gradually strengthened, Wang said.

"Pushing forward the development of ecological civilization in Siming district is also crucial to making Xiamen a place of innovation, beauty and happiness," he said.

By the end of 2018, the green coverage rate of Siming had reached 51.5 percent and the per capita green area of parks reached 18.9 square meters, official data showed.

"There are no heavy polluting industries in the district, which is one of our strengths," Wang said.

After a period of renovation, the environment around lakes and rivers has become better and the water quality has improved steadily, he added.